


Falling In

by ortonfangirl



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 02:09:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7462575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ortonfangirl/pseuds/ortonfangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick and Daryl get separated from the group. When an injury keeps them from reuniting with the group they become even closer. Hidden feelings begin to surface.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Separation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A herd separates Rick & Daryl from the group

Chapter 1

"Go, Rick, go" Daryl yelled as they ran. The herd of walkers had appeared suddenly. A large group of at least fifty, too many to try to fight off. The herd cut them off from their cars, leaving them no choice but to try to get away on foot. The group had been searching for a safe place to hunker down and supplies when the herd appeared out of nowhere. The walkers stumbled out of the woods and the group found themselves surrounded. They fought their way through, unfortunately splitting the group up as they made their way to safety.  
Michonne, Carol, Maggie, Glen, and Carl were able to fight their way through the herd, crossing the street and disappearing into the woods in the direction the herd had come from. Tara, Abraham, Eugene, and Rosita ducked back into the building they had just cleared searching for food and much needed supplies, baracading the door shut against the herd. Rick and Daryl had been scouting slightly ahead of the group and had no choice but to run. Running away from the herd and away from their people.  
"Did 'cha see if Carl got 'way? Rick asked over his shoulder, running as fast as he could swinging his machete at the heads of any walker who got too close. " 's wit Michonne. Saw 'em hightail it into tha woods 'cross tha road"  
They ran on, putting as much distance between themselves and the walkers as possible on foot. Chests heaving, gasping for breath, both men stopped at the same time. Hunched over one arm across his waist and the other braced against the wall of the house they'd finally halted in front off Rick scanned the area. Daryl, after looking around to make sure the coast was clear, fell to his back on the ground in front of where Rick was leaning against the wall. "FUCK" both men muttered, grinning quickly at each other after realizing they'd said the same thing.  
Grins that fell away almost as soon as they appeared as they held eye contact, both men weighing the gravity of the situation in their minds. How many had they lost this time? Who got away? Who ended up with who. Both men looked away, scanning their surroundings while questions about the group, their people, ran through their minds. They hoped no one ended up alone. It was hard enough to be out here in the open with a group. But alone, well that was beyond hell.  
"Think we can circle back 'round? Find Carl and the others?"  
"Nah Rick best we stick wit' tha plan an' head 'ver to tha next town. Wait for 'em at the first building jus' pas' the town limits like we 'greed upon case we's separated on a run"  
"Yeah, you're right Daryl. I hate being separated from Carl but best we stick to the plan. Otherwise we might 'en not find the others at all."


	2. Shit's gone FUBAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting separated from the group Rick and Daryl make their way to the next town

Chapter 2

The group had come up with the plan after Michonne and Carol were briefly separated from the group during a supply run the week before. They had been searching houses and stores in each small town they came across as they made their way north. Hoping that by avoiding the larger cities they would be less likely to run into other groups, remember the Governor, or large herds of walkers. The cities were all death traps. The streets filled with hundreds of walkers. Between the cities were several small towns that weren't quite as walker filled and that had been mostly overlooked by raiders.  
After the shit hit the fan most people headed to the cities thinking they would be more secure. That the government would have sent in the military to control the outbreak and set up aid stations. Unfortunately this was not the case. The government did send out the military and the National Guard to the major cities but they were quickly overrun.  
After Atlanta the group had tried one other major city, looking for supplies, only to find it as bad as Atlanta. Streets filled with hundreds of walkers. They barely made it out alive. Now they avoid the cities, moving from small town to small town, scavaging what they can from houses and the stores that haven't been completely emptied out. This has worked well for them so far since they escaped from Terminus.  
At least it had until the day Michonne and Carol ended up on the wrong side of a small walker herd. The small towns were mostly empty of walkers except for a few that were probably locals that hadn't followed the masses into the death traps of the cities when the outbreak started. However every once in a while a herd moves through the towns heading god knows where. It was one of these traveling herds that managed to cut Michonne and Carol off from the rest of the group as they were clearing a stretch of houses grouped together on the outside of town. They were searching the houses in groups of two-three, trying to get as much badly needed food and supplies as possible before finding a place to spend the night before it got dark. It took hours of searching before the group reunited leading to a discussion of what they should do if the group were to get separated again. It was decided that instead of backtracking and searching it would be better to have a designated location to meet up at and set time frame to wait for everyone to make their way to the meeting place. Since everyone in the group was capable of making their own way to the next location if cut off from the group it made more sense to set up a designated meeting place than to go searching for someone if they got separated. The group decided they would continue on to the next town and meet at the first house they came across entering the town heading north. Daryl had taught the whole group how to tell which direction they were traveling in based on the sun's location. Then they decided on a time frame. How long they should wait for everyone to make their way to meeting place or the "shits gone FUBAR" safe house as Daryl had taken to calling it. Rick suggested one day, Maggie three. The group decided on two days and if everyone hadn't made their way to the "FUBAR" house (as Carol had shortened Daryl's original name for the meet place) then they would proceed to the next town, wait two days at the first house they come to and continue on. Giving anyone who had gotten separated from the group but been unable to make it to the first 'fubar' house a chance to catch up. "We best find a place to hole up" Daryl whispered to Rick. Both men instinctively moving away from the walkers. "There's gotta be a place up head". They moved quickly and as quietly as possible. Daryl making no sound at all and Rick making more noise than Daryl would like but less than anyone else in the group would have made.  
They didn't have to go far before they came upon a group of houses. "Well there's our FUBAR house" Daryl said head tilting toward the first house inside the town limits.


	3. "What tha fuck name 's Oglethorpe?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Rick make it to the next town

Chapter 3

They had walked for hours before finally reaching the next town, Oglethorpe, according to the welcome sign. "Huh" Daryl mumbled "what" Rick asked. "What tha fuck name 's Oglethorpe?" Daryl replied with a slight twist of his lips that Rick knew was the closest Daryl usually got to a grin. "Stupid" Rick grinned back at Daryl, "but I've heard worse" "Yeah?" "There's a town in Pennsylvania called Intercourse. Can you imagine tellin folks you lived in Intercourse?" Rick wagged his eyebrows at Daryl. "In?, no" Daryl replied with a slight smirk "For? Hell yes" Rick glanced up quickly at Daryl, he didn't really just say what I think he said, he thought, but at the smirk on Daryl's face Rick knew he'd heard exactly what he thought the hunter had said.

"For" Rick repeated quietly looking straight into Daryl's eyes. For a moment they stared, breath caught in their chests as their eyes locked. "For" Daryl repeated. The moment stretched between them. Eyes locked, they stared "How" Rick started to ask, the question interrupted by the sound of moaning and shuffling footsteps that both men immediately identified as walkers.

"We best get inside 'fore those fuckers get here" Daryls' tone no longer playful. 'Hell', he thought to himself, 'I can't believe I's flirtin' with Rick like that'. Daryl never flirted. It just wasn't his nature. He'd never really been interested in women or men. At least not til he first saw those bright blue eyes and those snug fittin' sherriff's uniform pants. Daryl shook his head to clear those thoughts from his head, "come on man. Let's check out our FUBAR house" They quickly made their way to the first house they had come across just inside the town. "How long 'fore the others make here you think"? Rick asked as they waited outside the front door having just knocked and now listening for the sound of walkers shuffling around in response to the noise. 

"Might be a while, half the group had to head south to get away from the herd. Who knows how far they'll have to backtrack" Rick knocked against the door one more time and after hearing no response carefully opened the front door. Daryl following close behind but far enough back to be able to cover Rick if he needed it. It didn't take long for the men to clear the house. They split up and checked each room, moving quickly through the house.

They met back in the kitchen, once the house had been cleared, the next step was always a search for food. The routine didn't change, no matter how tired or wounded they might be. They cleared the house or whatever building they were in, looked for food and useful supplies, then bedded down for the night. 

"Look at this, shit" Daryl motions Rick over to the cabinet he'd just opened. Rick whistles low, careful not to be too loud, a habit they all had now, "Holy shit Daryl", he grins at the hunter, still eyeing all the cans of food in front of him. "At least we won't have to worry about food for a while, please tell me those aren't all beans."

Daryl laughs at Rick's comment about beans. Hell, they were all tired of eating fuckin beans. "No, Rick, looks like 's your lucky day. There's all kinds of shit in here." Daryl turns the cans around, checking out the labels. "Here" he hands a couple of cans, making sure not to grab beans, to Rick. "I'll secure the house while you whip up some food". 

Daryl strolled from the kitchen before Rick could protest. Neither man liked preparing food, but there really wasn't much choice now. Hell Daryl had been fending for himself for as long as he could remember, including learning to make simple meals from whatever he could hunt or if he was lucky, find in his house. He took the job of securing the house cause it was more work. He knew Rick was exhausted, hell he was too, but Rick hadn't been sleeping much since Terminus, and it showed. 

Rick needed someone to take care of him, whether the fucker liked it or not. No one else would step up to do it, hell Rick wouldn't listen to anyone else any how. So it was up to Daryl to make sure Rick ate and slept, the way Rick did for the rest of the group. He was going to use this separation from the group to his advantage. Make sure Rick got the rest he needed, again, whether the fucker liked it or not. He couldn't lose Rick, the group couldn't lose Rick. He was the one that kept them going, kept them alive and fighting to stay that way. He was the reason Daryl kept fighting, hell the reason Daryl was still sane in a world that gone completely batshit crazy. He wasn't about to lose Rick cause the man got sloppy during a fight cause he was tired. 'Fuck that', Daryl thought. 


End file.
